Making waves in the accessories industry, the team at Fallen Broken Street have brought the art of hat-making back into style. With unique hats and beanies, David Frim, Justin Crawford, Diva Cory and John Loronson have successfully created a marketable brand that oozes style with ease.

StartUp Creative sat down with the passionate team behind Fallen Broken Street to understand how the timeless accessory of hats inspired the renowned Byron Bay based company.

How did Fallen Broken Street start? How long have you been established?

Fallen Broken Street was dreamt up on a plane ride home from the Gold Coast back in 2011 with partners David Frim and Justin Crawford. They both had experience in the field of fashion and photography and knew they were onto something rad!

Dave already had some beanies made up like the ones your granny knits and Justin thought it was a great idea to shoot something as soon as possible. A week later the first look book was finished consisting of beanies and fingerless gloves. We sold another season of beanies and had the ball rolling! Soon after Diva Cory joined, adding a third element with a background in graphic design and business.

We quickly saw that there weren’t many rad hats out there, so we introduced the first line of hats to complement the beanies. We then asked for the help of good friend John Loronson for his business management brain, as he had already manned the ship of such companies as Electric Sunglasses, Summersite and Vampirate surfboards. Now we are in our fourth year of felt hats and beanies and it has been quite a rollercoaster.

You’ve got a very varied range of products – who is your target market?

We don’t have a specific target market; we do it because we like how they look on everyone. Hats were a massive part of the early 1900s and were relevant to showcase a person’s style. You can throw a hat on and it changes your mood there and then. We love seeing the older crew rocking a Fallen Broken Street hat, it really puts a smile on our faces.

Did you originally have different career plans or was Fallen Broken Street a long time in the making?

We all come from different backgrounds and experience. If we knew this were going to happen, it would have started a long time ago.

What is the key to building a business that you love?

The key is having a dream, the vision, and backing yourself enough to chase it down a one way street.

How do you brainstorm your new designs? What are some strategies essential to your creative process?

The team is made up of a number of crazy creative brains. We let our imaginations run wild which results in a number of ideas that we then filter and agree on the final samples.

How does Byron Bay inspire your style? What are some elements that are necessary within every new piece?

Byron Bay definitely has some amazing energy and flow of different individuals! It consistently evokes new inspiration and ideas. Our core element to each piece is our signature Fallen Broken Street button.

How big is your team? What kind of staff do you prefer to be in business with?

There are five of us in the studio and factory. The key is having lovely like-minded creative people around. We’re all driven by each other’s energy and are closely connected, like a little family.

Do you have any collaborations with other brands? Who do you love to work with?

We love working and collaborating with artists, labels, magazines, musicians and models alike. We have recently been collaborating with Monster Children magazine, Sunday Somewhere and The legend of Ben Hall: a motion picture to be released in February 2016.

What is the biggest challenge you’ve dealt with through owning your own business?

The first thing you have to manage is the flow of stock going in and out of Fallen Broken Street. This is the key to managing the back end of your company, if this is running and well oiled, the machine is going to keep running just fine. Second is that we put every cent back into the company for the first three years, this in turn will help you never need to chase your tail and avoid debt.

Tell us three things that make your label unique. How do you infuse your own personality and philosophies into your work?

A clash of crazy creative brains, originality and world travel are certainly all factors. It’s hard to explain how our personalities are portrayed into our work. With love and commitment in an idea they express themselves without us needing to consciously focus on it.

What’s next for Fallen Broken Street?

We haven’t even scratched the surface of our vision thus far. We are always throwing down new ideas to expand and grow as people and as a company. Get excited and watch our space for more exciting ventures coming your way.

What would be the first thing you would tell someone who is interested in launching their own brand? Give us your wisest words of advice.

Choose your product well, do some research on it and stick to your guns

Get some great imagery and a quality product that people can associate with